Product description

Visually amazing, this critical history of comic books, manga, and graphic novels is a must-have for any comic buff or collector. Over the centuries, comic books and their offshoots, such as graphic novels, manga, and bandes dessinees, have evolved into a phenomenally popular, influential, and unique art form with which we can express our opinions, our fantasies, our nightmares, and our dreams. In short: comics are emphatically no longer just for kids. This diverse, constantly evolving medium is truly coming into its own in the 21st century, from Hollywood's blockbuster adaptations of super-powered caped crusaders to the global spread of Japan's manga and its spinoffs, and from award-winning graphic novels such as "Maus" and "Persepolis" to new forms such as online webcomix. This volume is the perfect introduction to a dynamic and globally popular medium, embracing every graphic genre worldwide to assess the very best works of sequential art, graphic literature, comics, and comic strips, past and present.
An international survey, this engaging volume is organized according to the year of first publication in the country of origin. An opening section acknowledges pioneering pre-1900 masterpieces, followed by sections divided by decade, creating a fascinating year-by-year chronicle of the graphic medium worldwide. The material includes the very earliest one-off albums to the latest in online comics and features some series and characters that have run for decades.
Packed with fantastic reproductions of classic front covers and groundbreaking panels, this book is visually stunning as well as a trove of information--perfect for the passionate collector and casual fan alike.

Author information

Paul Gravett was hailed by "The Times of London" as "the greatest historian of the comics and graphic novel form." Gravett co-edited the important British magazine "Escape" (1983-89), which championed a wider appreciation of comics from Europe and beyond. In 1990, he curated "God Save The Comics!," a major installation on British comics, which was opened by the French cultural minister Jack Lang for the launch of France's National Comics and Image Centre in Angouleme. After nine years directing a project by the Cartoon Art Trust to establish a National Cartoon Museum in London, in 2001 he became an independent exhibition curator, journalist, lecturer, and broadcaster. He is the author of "Manga: 60 Years of Japanese Comics" (2004), "Graphic Novels" (2005), "Great British Comics" (2006), "Mammoth Book of Best Crime Comics" (2008), and "Incredibly Strange Comics" (2008). He directs the Comic festival at London's Institute of Contemporary Arts. In 2008, he curated the western world's first exhibition of contemporary Chinese comics in London, and in 2009 he organized "In Search of the Atom Style" at the Atomium in Brussels. He is currently preparing exhibitions about Korean manhwa, Finnish artist Tove Jansson and her Moomin characters, and American comic book genius Jack Kirby.

Review quote

"1001 Comics You Must Read Before You Die emphasizes comic books, graphic novels, and manga from recent decades though the earliest entry dates to 1867. Comics historian Paul Gravett, the book’s general editor, consulted specialists in 27 countries." ~Boston Globe
"There have been other guides to comics and comics characters, but this book is the only one that is global in breadth, considerate of every genre, fully illustrated, and offers a critical assessments to winnow out only the very best works. This colorful and authoritative review includes every important artist in comic books, manga and graphic novels. Visually amazing, this critical history of the graphic narrative form - including comic books, manga and graphic novels - is a must have for any comic buff or collector." ~Legacycomics.com
"Recommended for those with a curiosity about the medium and highly recommended for fans who might need to expand their horizons." ~Forcesofgeek.com